This book contains the proceedings of the NATO Advanced Study Institute on Surfaces and Interfaces of Ceramic Materials, held on the Oleron island, France, in September 1988. This Institute was organized in nine months after receiving the agreement of the NATO Scientific Affairs Division. Despite this very short time, most of the lecturers contacted have accepted our invitation to prepare a specific talk. The meeting was held at "La Vieille Perrotine" on the Oleron island. This holiday village of the French CNRS is located near the Ocean in a natural area which contributed to create a very pleasant atmosphere favourable to develop interaction between the 91 participants in this Institute. First of all, the Institute was aimed at diffusing the foremost results on the characterization of and the role played by surfaces, grain boundaries and interfaces in preparation and overall properties of ceramic materials, mainly of oxide ceramics. Through its interdisciplinary character, the Institute was also aimed at developing interaction between scientists and engineers interested in basic and practical aspects of processing and use of ceramics.
